Today In Patriots History 2024: Kraft fires Bill Belichick

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Bill Belichick is fired​

January 11, 2025:

Belichick on exit from Pats: 'Going to move on'

Bill Belichick will no longer serve as Patriots coach after a remarkable 24 seasons, saying "we're going to move on" while also looking looking back fondly at his unmatched run in New England.

www.espn.com

The fact that Belichick and Kraft are going their own ways carries an element of sadness, but not surprise. Kraft had pointed out how important it was for the Patriots to make the playoffs this season. Instead, they were one of the first teams eliminated, on Dec. 10.​

Speculation about Belichick's future swirled during the 2023 season, with one of the lowest points for the team coming Nov. 12 in a 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany.​

Before that game, addressing this past season, the 82-year-old Kraft told NFL Network: "It's really been disappointing. I had hoped things would be a lot better, as I know our fan base did. ... This isn't what we were expecting to happen this year."​

Another key factor for Kraft was the franchise's trajectory since Brady's departure as a free agent after the 2019 season. Since losing Brady, which pained Kraft, the Patriots have posted losing records in three of their four seasons, and their last playoff win was a 13-3 triumph over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII on Feb. 3, 2019 -- when Brady was on the team.​

​

The Patriots now will embark on their first head-coaching search in a quarter century. Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, whom the team signed to a contract extension in the offseason and Kraft has identified as a rising head-coaching candidate, projects to be a, if not the, leading candidate for the job, sources said. Mayo played for the Patriots from 2008 to 2015 and has been an assistant under Belichick since 2019.​

If Mayo is ultimately the choice, and the Patriots established a succession plan in the contract he signed last offseason, the organization could hire him at any point without going through the standard NFL hiring process.​

 

[archstanton543]

 

[lancerman]

Right move even if the follow up sucked. Respect what he did here, but the team was falling apart at the seams his final year and we are at rock bottom.

 

[Pape]

we should have kept him.

 

[h0c2000]

A season too late.

 

[TheRainMaker]

The drafts and team were bad, but he deserved more time to get it right. Had he passed on a QB in this last draft and took a player that looked like a dud, then I could understand the plug being pulled after this year as he would’ve been a FA anyways.

 

[Jackson 2]

we should have kept him.

I'm an unapologetic Belichick fan and believer, but I think it was time. But, I'll never forgive the embarrassing and disgraceful behavior by Kraft after the fact. He'll be a spiteful , sneaky reptile to me forever. The franchise will never be the same and it's largely his fault. Screw him.

 

[signbabybrady]

I still have nightmares. And I still can't believe after the season we just had that people think this was the right move.

 

[sb1]

Mayo was a total disaster but that doesn’t mean Bill’s time wasn’t up. It was.

 

[sb1]

I still have nightmares. And I still can't believe after the season we just had that people think this was the right move.

H8r

 

[sb1]

Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, whom the team signed to a contract extension in the offseason and Kraft has identified as a rising head-coaching candidate, projects to be a, if not the, leading candidate for the job, sources said. Mayo played for the Patriots from 2008 to 2015 and has been an assistant under Belichick since 2019.
If Mayo is ultimately the choice, and the Patriots established a succession plan in the contract he signed last offseason, the organization could hire him at any point without going through the standard NFL hiring process.

Don’t do it!!

 

[signbabybrady]

Mayo was a total disaster but that doesn’t mean Bill’s time wasn’t up. It was.

We'll never know because Kraft had to try his pet project.

Maybe you'll see the light if our next coach fails too. But we definitely should have given Bill a chance to fix his own mess. We can always hire the next coach we never get that chance back to see if Bill could have fixed it.

 

[p8ryts]

We'll never know because Kraft had to try his pet project.

Maybe you'll see the light if our next coach fails too. But we definitely should have given Bill a chance to fix his own mess. We can always hire the next coach we never get that chance back to see if Bill could have fixed it.

From your lips to my ears. Thank you. One of my big disappointments.

 

[Pape]

Mayo was a total disaster but that doesn’t mean Bill’s time wasn’t up. It was.

He was let go, so we'll never know.

Overall, the defense would have been better... doubtful we would have had 111 penalties... and would like to have seen what he could have done with the Drake Maye.

 

[sb1]

He was let go, so we'll never know.

Overall, the defense would have been better... doubtful we would have had 111 penalties... and would like to have seen what he could have done with the Drake Maye.

Don’t see any realistic scenario where he drafts Maye. More likely Nix or McCarthy. Both are more polished and that’s what he likes.

 

[Pape]

Don’t see any realistic scenario where he drafts Maye. More likely Nix or McCarthy. Both are more polished and that’s what he likes.

i absolutely disagree.

 

[sb1]

We'll never know because Kraft had to try his pet project.

Maybe you'll see the light if our next coach fails too. But we definitely should have given Bill a chance to fix his own mess. We can always hire the next coach we never get that chance back to see if Bill could have fixed it.

He had his shot with Mac Jones…didn’t go well.

 

[sb1]

i absolutely disagree.

73 years old and wants to win sooner than later. Doubtful he’d want a raw QB like Maye that may take years to hit his ceiling when more finished products were available.

 

[signbabybrady]

73 years old and wants to win sooner than later. Doubtful he’d want a raw QB like Maye that may take years to hit his ceiling when more finished products were available.

You could say the same statement about a 70 year old Bill yet he took Mac.

 

[signbabybrady]

He had his shot with Mac Jones…didn’t go well.

That's the problem he should have been allowed to try and fix and we never get to see if he could have done it in favor of Jerod Mayo. It was absolutely the wrong choice it's an undeniable fact.